Oscillating fan



Jim@ 3,1952 L HS'CH' 2,599,284

OSCILLATIENG FAN Filed Dec. 18, 1948 Inv ent ov* Georg'e J Relsch His Abbovneg..

G. J. REISCH OSCILLATING FAN June 3, 1952 2 Sl-IEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Dec. 18, 1948 i Inventor: George J. Reisch.,

His bbovne y.

Patented June 3, 1952 GSGIBIQATING George J. Eeischr, Siratfrd;w am, assignee to General Electrice Company;D as c,orporationV of New York Application December 18, 1;.34183Seraljjl`o. 65,9912 t Claims. (CLZSQI My: invention relates. to. electric. fans. andrhas for one: ofl its principali objectsy to. provide. a .new and, improved oscillating fan of simple, economi',- calconstruction.

Another object is. to; provide: anv oscillating mechanismecompletely enclosed' within, afancasr ingV comprising comparatively few component partis'- and` operatingA on` a principle which. climi;- natesthe usualrplurality of pivotally connected armsandoscillating levers. g

Another object". is. to. arrangev the component partsof. a fan toobtain a proper weight distri;- buti'cn. in order to minimize vibration and reduce frictionl A further object is'. to'. reciprocallyy supportf the operating; parts of` a fan so that anV outer en,- clcsing; memberymay loek easily removed Without interfering with the operation. of the fan,.ther,e; by permitting rea-dvY access; to the motor*l and oscillating mechanism while in operation, mak;- ing it relatively easy to adjust and repair.

A further object is to provide a singlersupport oi simple construction which serves both as a swivel stud' around which ak fan can oscillate and as an important. part of the oscillating mechanism itself.

Astill further` object is to provide anew and improved means. ofi adjustably securing the support to a base in` order to quickly and easily. regulate the, angular elevation ofv a fan.

Other. objects of. my invention will become apparen-tv during the course of the following` descripti'on.4

In general', the oscillating mechanism ofj my .inventionv comprises a worm thread' drive shaft,

operateda fan motor; which drives a gear train attached" to an eccentrically mounted' circular cam. This cam imparts a vertically re ciprocating motion to a lever slidably mounted on a twisted' rod. This lever, by its position contiguous to the wa-ll ofV a casing which is jou-rnaled on a vertically arranged support, compels oscillation of the fan. They casing, housing the oscillating mechanism, is positioned intermediate the fan motor and the fan blades and serveseto support all the operatingV parts of the fan. A vertically arranged support', spiralled' at its upper end toaccorrlmodate` the reciprocating lever; is inserted at its upper end in` a swivel bearing attached toA the-casing at approximately the-agravitational center of the fan. This support has an arcuate lower' portion. which is slidably itted within a base and adjustably' securedi in place byl apincer mec'l'la-ni'sm.

For amore complete understanding of" my,I invention'.; reference shouldY bemande; to the; @6.09.197- panying drawings in which; Eig; lj is a vertical sectipnalrview: offen., entire fan; embodyingmy -invention; Eig. a; sectional Vviewtaken along-line Eig. 3. is a. seotgnaltvew taken Qi'Eigj.. l;l Fig; lis aseetional view taken;A alongr mel lle-tof: 3J; Fig; 5.- is; aseo tionalzviewctaken. along. line 5 5 ofFig.- 1'; Fig. 6 isabperspectiveY View, cix ak suitable gear and cam assembly.;and;Eig;Y 7 isa perspectivel view oi an oscillating, lever: such as'. oe used-vin my in vention'..

Referringtzo: thadrawings: Iiihave; 'shown Vai preferrediemhodimentiofrmr invention as comprising -arfanzhavingabasegl curvedto stand at; a slight angie: from. a; flatv retaining member.- suchY asr a tablier 0I" r deSli. Basel lj is al Wide metallic plate and;marherformeditofrest: solidly on its; opposite ends:` Zrandf 3: Without: thefoonverrtional @Xtend'ing f eetr.; AL' pair of apertures; 4 andl 5 alignedY in the samevertioalgplane arefformed in projecting p0rtinns; 6; andgl o fjloase. I1, in order to accommodate anzarcuateflizwec portion lliof a. support anreieralol'y.` in; the.. fornrof a; cylindrical rodA which' is inserted-through;holes. 4 ana s.

Another larger aperture le; is formed in the apiwximatecentenQfloase- I intermediate apertures 4 .anat 5` order' to; accommodate a latchV H comprising; apair of. tanga t2, and i3; best seen ig weldeckcir otherwisev suitably attached at their-outer,- ends; it-and: respectively, to the undalsilerdf base-l. These tangsA l2 and L3- are G,QI11).-Qsed Qf a): slightly resilient metal and. have angular` flanges It and Il at their adjacent ends which` a as pincers toJ securely-position the support Se flange- IS. is pressed out of the body portion of tang I2 which curves upward to for-m an: arch- |28 over the top of rod S. When arch i8 is; depressedgthe/ angular anges l5 and Il move downward; releasing, Support, 9 Which may then be adjustedrthrough apertures 4 and 5 to a diiferentposition. Whe-n thef fanisv at the desired tilt.. theisupp ft, is once again secured in place hyf remov gl; the downward pressure on arch i8.

Thau-nner port-ion of supporting rod e is vertically arranged and has;v ak pair ci annular grooves t9; and; 2li consecutively spaced from the upper end. Groove/2u accommodates a snap ring 2e acts as.- a; thrust. shoulder supporting e tllflllS-t bQarngAzZ-Z- comprising-cup Washer 23, bearinawasherf 2t .grease seal; 2.5. A. Swivel. beerins; 2.6; hai/.i a @y 'ndrcalaxialg hole has a. free over the.:y urnes por. A or roel` 9: is ournaled on thrust bearing) 7g2;

A screw; 21Y best seerr in- Eg; 3', is inserted through a tapped hole in swivel bearing 26 and extends into the annular groove I8 to prevent the motor assembly from being lifted away from the supporting rod 9. Screw 21 does not extend far enough to make contact with the inner wall of groove i9, and does not in any manner restrict the rotation of swivel bearing 28 around rod 9.

A casing 28, preferably rectangular, is secured to the swivel bearing 2S by any suitable means such as screws 29. This casing 28 has a thin metallic wall which can be fabricated easily by punched parts or by die-casting and serves both as a gear case and as a fan frame, indirectly supporting all the operating parts of the fan. A yoke 3U is attached by rivet 8l or otherwise suitably secured to the rear side of casing 28 and serves to support the stator and coil assembly 32 of the fan motor 32' by such means as screws 33. A circular iront motor guard 34 is similarly attached to the front side of casing 28 byrivets 35 or other suitable means. p

A pair of spaced bearings 38, 31 are located within centrally positioned holes 38 in the front and rear sides of casing 28. The front bearing 36 is rigidly secured in place by an annular shoulder 39 formed in the front motor guard 34 and placed against the forward portion of bearing 3S; and by another annular shoulder 40 formed in a retaining strap 4| attached to casing 28 and placed against the rearward portion of bearing 36. The rear bearing 31 is similarly secured by an annular shoulder 42 formed in yoke 3U and pressed against the rearward portion of bearing 31; and by another annular shoulder 43 formed in a retaining strapl 44 and pressed against the forward portion of bearing 31. A drive shaft 45, supporting the rotor assembly d6 on one end, is journaled within bearings 38, 31 and supports the fan blades 41 on its opposite end. The position of the bearings 35, 31 to one side of the rotor 46, eleminates the conventional rear end cap with bearing and permits the counterbalancing of the weight of the motor against the weight of the fan blades. It also permits a ready examination of the motor while in operation.

A plurality of washers 48 are inserted between the rotor 48 and the rear bearing 31 to reduce friction. The central washer 48 is preferably Yof resilient synthetic composition and acts as a cushion permitting self-alignment of adjacent parts while the motor is in operation. Another similar combination of washers 4S, 49 are inserted between a snap ring 50 and the front bearing 36. The snap ring 58 is secured in an annular groove l in shaft 45 and acts as a thrust shoulder positioning the drive shaft 45.

An outer closing member, which may be a unitary shell 52, iits over the motor 32' and casing 28. This shell 52 has a pair of bosses 53, 54 eX- tending from diametrically opposite sides, each boss holding a retaining pin 55 or 56. Each pin has an annular groove 51 best seen in Fig. 4 and a bifurcated conical head 58 to permit the pin to be inserted within a cylindrical aperture 59 provided in the stator laminations. The head 58 gives the retaining pins 55, 56 a small measure of resiliency which enables the pin to adhere to the laminations without the necessity of a set screw or other holding means. The usual fan guards 50 may be secured to front motor guardy 34 by being hooked through suitable apertures 6| in outer shell 52 and elongated slots 6 i in the motor guard 34 as illustrated in Fig. 5.

The oscillating mechanism is housed entirely within casing 28, acting as a gear case. A worm thread 62 formed in drive shaft 45 drives a following worm gear 63 which is attached by such means as a press fit to a pinion 84, best seen in Fig. 5. Both the worm gear 63 and the pinion 64 are journaled on a bearing pin 55 which is assembled in any suitable manner to the wall of gear case 28. The pinion 64 engages the teeth of a larger spur gear 56 which is attached by such means as a press t to a cam 61 best seen in Fig. 6. The cam 61 consists of a circular plate E8 which is eccentrically mounted on a cylindrical shaft B9, and together with the spur gear 66 is journaled on a second bearing pin 1B also attached to gear case 28. The second bearing pin 1li, which serves as the pivot point for cam 61, is locate directly above the upper end 1I of supporting rod 9 which extends within gear case 28. The end 1l is non-circular either elliptical or polygonal, and is twisted to form a spiralled X. In the instant embodiment I have shown this upper end as a substantially rectangular spiral. A connecting L-shaped oscillating lever 12, best seen in Fig. 7, has a circular upper portion 13 which has a slidable t over the circular plate 5B of cam 81 and an aperture 14 in its lower leg which is suitably formed to slidably fit over the twisted end 'il of Vsupporting rod 5i.V Circular upper portion 13 forms in substance an eccentric strap or collar. The width of gear case 28 is such that the upper leg of lever 13 rests against the wall 15 of gear case 28. As the lever 12 is reciprocated by the eccentric action of cam 61, a horizontal oscillatory motion is imparted by the twisted end 1| of support 9 throughlever 12 to the casing 28. Since all the operating parts of the fan are supported by casing 28, the entire fan oscillates around the upper portion of supporting rod 9 by virtue of thrust bearing 22 and swivel bearing 2S. place by such means as screw 11 and serves completely to enclose the oscillating mechanism.

In the operation of my improved electric fan, the angle of elevation is adjusted by simply depressing arch I8 of tang l2, sliding support 8 within apertures 4, 5 until the desired angle is reached, and removing the pressure on arch i8. When the electric current is applied to the fan motor (connections not shown) the worm thread 62 of the motor operated drive shaft 45 rotates the worm gear 63, pinion 84, spur gear 65 and eccentrically mounted plate 68 of the cam 61. As plate 68 rotates, it imparts a circular motion to the upper end of lever 12 and a vertically reciprocating motion to the lower end of lever 12. Since the lower leg of lever 12 has an aperture 14 which iits contiguously over the spiraled end of support 9, this spiraled end 1l imparts an oscillatory force to lever 12 as it is reciprocated by cam G1. This oscillatory force is transmitted to the gear case and hence to the entire motor assembly since the gear case is pivotally journaled on the thrust bearing 22 and swivel bearing 28.

As can be seen from the foregoing detailed description, the support, which I have provided, is of simple construction and serves a multiplicity of purposes. Its arcuate lower portion serves conveniently to permit an adjustment of the angle of elevation of the fan. The vertical upper portion is formed to act as a swivel stud around which the fan can oscillate. Its upper end has a spiraled configuration which enables the reciprocating force applied to lever 12 by A gear case cover 15 is secured in.

tion.

The latching means which I have provided to adjustably secure the lower portion of supporting rod 9 to base I is both simple in construction and convenient to operate. Only slight downward pressure is necessary to release support 9 so that the angle of elevation may be adjusted. There is no necessity for the usual unscrewing and retightening of nuts and bolts.

The casing 28, although it maybe no more than a rectangular box, is arranged to act as a gear case enclosing the oscillating mechanism and as a frame supporting the motor 22', the front motor guard 34, and the front and rear bearings 36, 31 for the motor operated drive shaft 45. Since this casing directly or indirectly supports all the operating parts of the fan, an outer enclosing member may be provided which is no more than a unitary shell easily removed and easily molded from a plastic compound or fabricated from metal.

It is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the particular embodiment of my invention that I have shown above since many modifications may be made, and I, therefore, contemplate by the appended claims to cover such modifications as fall Within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In an electric fan of the oscillating type, a casing, means for supporting said casing comprising a base, a unitary cylindrical `supporting rod having a vertically arranged upper portion which provides a swivel stud on which said casing is pivotally mounted, said upper portion beyondthe swivel stud having a non-circular upper end twisted to form a spiral which is positioned within said casing, and means for oscillating said casing comprising a motor operated drive shaft, a gear train driven by said drive shaft, an eccentric located above saidY spiralled upper end driven by said gear train, and a lever having at its upper end an eccentric strap whichfits over said eccentric and at its lower end an angular portion provided with an opening in which said spiral ts, turning of said eccentric serving to reciprocate said arm on said spiral to effect oscillating movement of said casing.

2. An electric fan comprising a base, a supporting rod having a vertically arranged upper portion and a spiralled upper end, a gear case journalled on said upper portion, a motor operated shaft extending through said gear case and having a worm thread formed therein, a worm gear driven by said worm thread, a pinion attached to said worm gear, a bearing pin secured to said gear case and journalling said worm gear and said pinion, a spur gear engaging the teeth of said pinion, a cam having an eccentrically mounted circular plate attached to said spur gear, a second bearing pin secured to said gear case directly above said spiralled upper end upon which said spur gear and said cam are journalled, and a lever for oscillating said gear case slidably mounted on said spiralled upper end and reciprocated by said circular plate.

3. In an electric fan, a vertically arranged support having a non-circular upper end twisted to form a spiral, a motor, a gear case journalled on said support and carrying said motor, a motor operated shaft extending through said gear case and having a worm thread formed thereon, and a gear train within said gear case including a worm gear driven by said worm thread, a pinion attached to said worm gear, a spur gear engaging the teeth of said pinion. a cam having an eccentrically mounted circular plate attached to said spur gear, and an L-shaped llever connected to and reciprocated by said eccentrically mounted circular plate, said lever having a hole in its lower leg formed to slidably fit on said spiralled upper end and imparting an oscillatory motion to said gear case as it is reciprocated by the .rotation of said circular plate.

4. In an oscillating electric fan, a support having a vertically extending stub shaft at its upper end and a thrust bearing defining the lower end of the stub shaft, the upper end of the stub shaft being deformed to provide a spiral, a fan casing having a sleeve which ts over said stub shaft and rests on said thrust bearing, the spiral on the end of the stub shaft being positioned within the fan casing, a motor in the casing, a gearing including an eccentric driven by said motor, the eccentric being located above said spiral, and a lever having at one end a strap which fits around said. eccentric and at the other end a portion provided with an opening in which said spiral fits, rotation of said eccentric serving to reciprocate said lever to effect oscillation of the fan casing.

GEORGE J. REISCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Robey Aug. 10, 1948 

